Drier.



H. P. COE.

. DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7| l9l2.

Patented May 4, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET] INVENTOR w ,4 omvsrs WITNESSES 011%? H. P. COE.

, omen.

APPLlCATION FILED AUG-H1912.

Patented May 4, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- zen of the United States,

' UNITED srarss PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY P. 00E, 0?

ramnsvrnrn, onro, AssIeNon on ONE-HALF T0 ALEXANDER s. WILLIAMS. or LONG ISLAND GITY, NEW YORK.

DRIER Specification of L e tters Patent.

' Patented May4, 1915.

- To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY P Con, a citiresiding in Painesville, Lake county, State of Oh o, have invented certain new' and useful Improve ments in Driers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the (accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

This invention relates especially to driers for sheets of pulp, etc, and has for its object to improve generally the construction and elficiency of such apparatus, especially with respect to the driving of the feed rolls, the utilization of the warm air currents and the introduction of the wet material into the drier at different levels.

In accordance with the invention the upper rolls are no longer driven by the lower rolls but instead are driven positively by suitable mechanism which may or may not serve also to actuate the lower rolls.

A further improvement resides in the driving of alternate rolls by independent driving meansplaced on each side ,ofthe drier so that large power transmitting devices, such as sprocket wheels, may be employed while only half of the driving load need be thrown on the prime mover, the remaining carrier rolls in such circumstances being permitted to run idle. I

In order to utilize the air currents to the best advantage the present invention includes the provision of delivery pipes branching from the main air pipe and ex tending substantially parallel to the air lines of the ,drying chamber, and provided at frequent intervals with depending ducts which extend downward through the air flues to points adjacent the bottom thereof. Suite able openings are provided in these ducts at 7 various levels with respect to the feed rolls,

which openings may be controlled by rotatable sleeves to permit the air to be directed in its course through the drying chamber..

,In order to render the vertical ducts and rotatable sleeves readily accessible separate removable panels are placed in the outer walls of the air flues.

Still another feature of the invention lies in the provision of a lifting table, provided with a bed of rolls on roller bearings, which is adapted to receive sheets of wet material from the wet machine or press and to be raised to any desired level of carrier rolls in the drier before the material is fed therein. By this arrangement the capacity of the apparatus is greatly increased as sheets of pulp or the like may be fed simultaneously through the drying chamber on the several series of carrier rollsat different levels.

The invention will be explained more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: L

Figure 1 isa view in side elevation of a cpmplete apparatus embodying the invent1on. Fig. 2 is a view in plan of the improved lifting table, a portion of a wet sheet and the wet mill being indicated. Fig, 3 is a View of the same in end elevation. Fig. 4 s a view 1n planof a drier embodying the mvention, part of the top wall being broken away to show the interior. Fig. 5 is a view of the same in side elevation, part of the side walls being removed to show the interior.' Fig. 6 1s a view in vertical section taken'on' the vertical axis of the same.

The foundation, longitudinal base members a, vertical standards 6, upper longitudinal frame member 0 and other. such structural elements need not be described particularly herein since the invention has to do with certain features hereinafter to be pointed out, the apparatus being in general similar to that used heretofore.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a wet mill d, shown in part, which feeds forward sheets at of wet material on to a lifting table 6 having a bed of rollers whence they 'pass into the drier. The. lifting table comprises suitable frame members 6 and a so I vertically movable platform 6 on which is disposed a plurality of rolls 6 freely revoluble on roller bearings e of the usual type. Hence it will be. understood that the sheets 1 of wet material may be fed forward on the base with a minimum expenditure of power and without impairing the shape of the sheets or the condition of the material by the imposition of undue strains. When the sheet at, which is preferably cut to a proper direction of flow of" the airy discharged through the slits h with respect tothelon- I gitudmal axis of theririer, may be con trolled absolutely and currents set up in the in the drier in turn. Or, under some circumstances, it may be desirable tohave the sheet pass through a particular zone in the drier, and by the lifting table the sheet can be delivered readily to any zone, depending upon conditions.

The mechanismfor elevating and lowering the movable platform may be of any approved type, the simple form herein illustrated comprising sustaining cables 7 atitached to the corners of the platform 6 and moisture from the sheets therein, the air escapmg later through a stack l. Varying conditions will govern the direction which it.

is desirable to give these currents of air,"but

by means of the construction herein employed their angular. relation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the drier may be changedwithin a wide range. The several sleeves k may be manually controlled by removing one of the panels m of which the outer walls of the air chambers k may be extending vertically upward over suitable sheaves f toa Windlass shaft 7? having spools f to receive the cables. This windlass shaft may be actuated by a sprocket and chain drive g through a hand wheel 9 mounted on one of the frame members e 'and preferably within convenient reach of the operator. When conditions warrant it, counterweights f maybe used to assist in the reciprocating movement of the table e,

although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the structural details of the lifting table and its actuating mechanism. 7 I

Referring now to Figs. 4 and .6 particularly, it will be seen that the nain air pipe h does not extend throughout the length of the drier as in former constructions, but inery stead communicates with two branch deliverably disposed directly above the'air chainbers k. Each of these branch pipes h is provided with a plurality of vertical conduits k which extend downwardly and through the air chambers in to points adjacent the bottoms thereof. These conduits u k may be provided with segmental open- 'ings h preferably located opposite each pair of rolls so-as to insure intimate contact of the air with the wet material In previous constructions the air, having once been discharged intothe fair chambers, fol- 5.:

lowed its own-coursethrough the drier to the stack, withthe result that some of the same wasj'not' passed over the. .wetmaterial thereover, becoming unduly laden With- =50 a To insure the highest e ciency in} this re- ,while other portions'fpassed longitudinally moisture b'efore escapin from-the stack.

, spectthe air,'-'intlie"presentinvention,is not only conductedthrough thedepending ducts wet material, but revoluble sleeves 3 hthavpipes h which extend substantially parallel to the sides of the drier and areprefcomposed largely, the panels being held in position normally by suitable retaining means, here shown as wing nuts m. This construction permits ready access to not only the air ducts but to the rolls and drivmg mechanism, as will later-appear.

" In Fig. 5 is shown most clearly the improved driving mechanism for the rolls and I the interior of the drying chamber; Fig. t

showing also the alternate-roll drive feature. On the standards bare mounted several series of lower rolls 7) and corresponding series of upper rolls q, the latter being provided. at one end with sprockets 1 'engaged by 'end'less chains 1- passing over idlers 1" and r at one end, and over driving sprockets r mounted on the prime mover shaft r at the opposite end, of the drier.

Each alternate lower roll p is also provided with a" sprocket p for engagement with one of the chains '1", each of the latter driving one series" of'lower rolls 1) andthe upper rolls 9 of the next lower series. It will be understood that these rolls revolve in oppo-' site directions, with the result that each of "the coacting pairs of rolls serves to draw the wet materialthrough the drier.

, The intermediate lower rolls 72 which are vnot driven inconjunction with the upper rolls q, are provided at the end opposite the sprockets p -,of the rolls p with similar sprockets p engaged by chains 1" which 'niay be, and as shown, are actuated by the prime mover shaft r. By, reason of the nism above described larger sprockets may I be employed than hitherto by reason'of the spacin of the. "same; smaller rolls may be used i desired-,since the sprockets may be relatively larger, and the greater relative suitable manner as by studs'h carried by theducts v Thus it will be obvious that the movement between. the upper and lower series ofrolls is possible "since the movement 'o f-, the' former is not dep-udent upon the.

intermeshingof spur gears with gears on the. latter, 'asformerly.

sary forja positive drive of both of the chainsw and'g'r" to be.used constantly since the latter maybe disengaged fromv the drivchamber which will serve to absorb the ing' shaft 1'. and th ollers p?" be permitted to run idle during theymovement of the wet "material. In cases where, by reason of the h peculiar 'nature of the material being dried, it isd'esirable to employ a maximumgrip- It is tobeunderstoodthat it is unneces-.

novel driving mechaping surface and driving power these intermediate rolls 39 may be used as before explained, the chain 7* being then driven positively. It will be equally obvious that independent prime movers may be provided for the driving chains on opposite sides of the drier, although in such cases it is desirableto have the same operate synchronously so that there may be no undue strains placed on the material. As in former constructions, steam headers n, having longitudinal steam pipes n passing between the rolls, are provided behind the end plates 0 of the drying chamber.

The features of construction constituting the subject matter of this invention are peculiarly susceptible to modification in structural details, but all such modifications are to be considered within the scope of the invention, provided the improvements in the apparatus herein sought to be made, are realized.

What I claim is:

1. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of transversely extended feedingrolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each alternate pair having a sprocket wheel fixed on one end, an

endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls and engaging with all of the sprocket wheels in the row, adriving sprocket in one loop of each sprocket chain and an idler sprocket wheel, in the otherloop of each sprocket chain.

2. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of transversely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each alternate pair having a sprocket wheel fixed on one end,

an endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls and engaging with all of the wheels in the row, a sprocket wheel fixed on the opposite end of each intermediate roll in each lower row, a second endless chain engaging each of the last named sprocket wheels and means to drive said's rocket chains.

3. In a drier, the combination of. a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of trans-' versely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each alternate pair having a sprocket wheel fixed on one end, an endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls and v engaging with all of the sprocket wheels in the row, a sprocket wheel on each upper roll of each pair of rolls with each of which sald chain engages to drive the same, a driving sprocket in one loop of each sprocket chain and an idler sprocket wheel in' the other loop of each sprocket chain.

4. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of transversely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each alternate pair having a sprocket wheel fixed on one end of it, an endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower-rolls and engaging with all of the sprocket wheels in the row, a sprocket wheel on each upper roll with each of which said chain engages to drive the same, a'sprocket wheel fixed on the opposite end of each intermediate roll in each lower row, a second endless chain engaging each of the last named sprocket wheels and means to drive said sprocket chains.

5. In a drier, a dryin chamber, air chambers I extending longitudinally thereof, a main air supply pipe, auxiliary air supply pipes incommunication with said main air supply pipe and extending longitudinally of the drier, conduits depending from said auxiliary supply pipes and extending vertically downward through said air chambers to points adj acent the bottoms thereof and having openings for the discharge of air.

6- n a dr er, a drying chamber, air chambers extendin longitudinally thereof, a main air supp ypipe, auxiliary air supply pipes in communication with said main air supply pipe andextending longitudinally of the drier,'conduits depending from said auxiliary supply pipes and extending vertically downward through said air chambers to points adjacent the bottoms thereof, and having openings for the'discharge of air, and valves to control the discharge of air through said openings.

7. In a drier, a drying chamber, air chambers extending longitudinally thereof, amain this 6th day of August, A. l). 1912.

HARRY P. COE. Signed in the presence of:-

E. M. TAYLOR, Won'rmno'ron CAMPBELL. 

